


Old Flame

by Queenafoster



Category: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-17 11:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1385383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenafoster/pseuds/Queenafoster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An old girlfriend...new problem</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Future Fic

Old Flame

Crane crouched down to examine the tires on the passenger side of the truck. What had he driven through that would flatten both? There must have been glass or nails on the shoulder of the road that he just didn't see. Doggone it! There was one spare in the back, but... Well, at least Daniel was working at Walt's garage this week.

He walked over to the payphone and dropped in a coin. In a couple of seconds, he heard his brother's voice. "Henry's Garage, can I help you?"

"Hey, Daniel."

"Crane! What's going on, pal?"

"What's going on is I've got two flat tires. Have you got time to tow it in for a patch job?"

"Oh, man, what'd you do?"

Crane shook his head in disgust, "I don't know. I borrowed the ranch truck to get groceries for me and Molly, and when I came out of the store, both passenger side tires are flat as a pancake. All I can figure is I drove through something on the shoulder coming to town."

"Tough luck. Okay, I can be there in about fifteen or twenty."

"Thanks, Daniel. See you in a few."

Crane stared in resignation at the sad, old truck with its sad, flat tires.

"Well, well. As I live and breathe. It _is_ a small world."

He turned at the voice and blinked in stunned recognition. "Renee? Oh my G—! What are you doing here?"

The centerfold beautiful woman in front of him just shook her head, smiling. "Well, I'm working. You just seem to be holding up that phone booth."

He laughed, "I just— How long has it been? I don't think I've talked to you since…” He thought for a second, “Since the end of junior year."

She bit her lip. "Has it really been that long? Didn't we see each other sometime senior year? Surely we did. Davis isn't that big."

"I might've seen you crossing campus, but I think you were avoiding me then."

Her expression was a mix of regret and embarrassment. "Oh, how immature. And there I was thinking I was so grown up. I hope you've forgiven me..."

Crane assumed a put upon air and sighed dramatically. "Well, you _did_ break my heart..."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, Crane, stop it. I've never known a more generous nature than yours. You're not still holding that against me—I know you better than that. Come here!"

He chuckled and wrapped her in a hug—both strange and familiar at the same time, and all the more poignant since he had once hoped it would last forever. But the feelings he'd felt for Renee were a pale shadow compared to what he now felt for Molly. Once upon a time, Crane had despaired of ever finding another girl. Talk about thinking he was grown up...

Renee's return embrace was fierce, showing she had no resentment either.

When he pulled back to look at her again, she seemed completely unchanged...tall, slender, with long dark hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She was dressed casually. He shook his head, " _This_ is working? I thought you were going to Sacramento to be a big-time political operative. Jeans and a sweater don't scream political anything to me."

The same outrageous laugh. "No, you wouldn't think so, but you would be _wrong!_ I am so the political barracuda I always told you I'd be. I work for Black  & Benton."

Crane was completely baffled by the reference.

"Come on, you're not that far back in the sticks."

Crane gazed around pointedly to remind her of the obvious. "It's Murphys. We can't get much farther back."

She chuckled, "Oh, you're hopeless."

His smile matched hers, "You always thought so."

She tossed her head with teasing sarcasm, "But _then_ , it was your hopeless devotion to me."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. ' _Hopelessly devoted to-oooh you-oooh-oooh…'_ " He grinned wider, "So who are Black & Benton?"

"Only the biggest lobbying firm in the capital."

"Okay. Good to know. So...who needs lobbying in Murphys?"

She smiled and shook her head again, no doubt remembering prior discussions that had followed this same line—he being the ignorant hick that she patiently enlightened to the ways of the bright and glorious world of big cities, big business, and big money. "Oh you! I swear you work at being dense. I'm doing _research_ for a client."

Crane tried to imagine what kind of client would need information from Murphys. "Research into what?"

Her expression and voice mocked a snobby disdain. "That's privileged. I'm not at liberty to give out that information. We wouldn't want our opponents getting wind of what we're doing."

Crane snickered. Like he had connections to anyone? Sure he was curious but decided it didn't really matter. What counted was seeing her again. "Well, regardless, I'm grateful to your client. I never expected to see you again, but here you are. And you're doing what you always hoped."

Her grin was genuine. "Thanks. That's nice of you to say. You know I always go after what I want."

"Like a starving man after his first meal as I remember."

She rolled her eyes, "I wasn't _that_ bad!"

"Remember that time you wanted tickets to the art show for that Russian guy? Or when you wanted to see the Kings in the play-offs? Or when—"

"Oh, hush! Never mind about that...those...then...whatever. I'm _much_ more mature now."

"Geez, I hope not. You were never boring—just one of the many things I loved about you."

She basked in the compliment and responded in a genteel voice. "Thank you, kind sir."

He bowed with a flourish. "You're most welcome, dear lady."

She grinned at him curiously, "So you're still here in Murphys? At the ranch?"

He nodded once. "Yep. Still working the old home place."

"How are your brothers?"

"Great, actually. Adam got married a few years ago. Brian's still at home. Daniel, Evan, and Ford have all graduated, and now Ford's up at Davis, too. And Guthrie's a sophomore in high school."

"A sophomore? How is that _possible_? He was so little when we were together."

"Not anymore. Tall, lanky, deep voice. You wouldn't know him he's changed so much. They all have."

"That's fantastic. And the ranch?"

Crane shrugged nonchalantly. "We're doing pretty good. A whole lot better than when we were scraping together my tuition every quarter. Brian, Daniel, and Evan occasionally take work off the ranch and bring in some additional money which helps, but the ranch is doing pretty well on its own."

"Well, that's great. I guess you've made your dreams come true, too."

"I'm certainly trying anyway." Just then, he heard a short beep as Daniel drove up in the wrecker. "Speaking of Daniel..."

He led Renee over to where the truck sat against the curb as his brother double parked and turned on his hazard lights.

"Hey, Crane! Here to rescue you! Oh—" Daniel swallowed his next comment when he laid eyes on Renee.

Crane tried unsuccessfully to bury his amusement when his brother was unable to hide his admiration. Crane cleared his throat dramatically, "Daniel, remember Renee Tessler that I went to college with?"

Daniel blinked in sudden recognition, "Sure. Of course. Wow. Uhh...I…"

Crane bit his lip to keep from laughing as he glanced at Renee to check her response which was amazingly restrained. "He's not really an idiot. He does occasionally use complete sentences."

Daniel sputtered indignantly, "Crane! Sorry, Renee. It's just been a _really_ long time, and I didn't expect to see you. Here. Today. Now."

She grinned back innocently. "Apparently." She glanced at Crane, her eyes full of humor. "Just a chance coincidence. I'm walking down the street and see this guy in the phone booth. I had no idea he still lived around here."

Kind of surprising she'd thought that. Crane had never given any indication he'd be anywhere else. His intention of returning to the ranch was one of many things that led to their break up all those years ago. And Murphys was such a small town that she must have realized she might run into him. Of course, he'd given up trying to figure her out a few weeks into a relationship that had lasted nearly two years.

Crane cleared his throat again, "So, Daniel. The tires."

Daniel snapped back to reality. "Yeah." He turned to look at the wheels. "They're flat all right."

Crane sighed patiently. "I know that. Can you fix 'em?"

"Sure. No problem. I just need to get it back to the garage and up on the rack. You're coming, right?"

Crane winced, "I've got eggs and ice cream that need to get to the house. You got a 'fridge in that garage?"

Renee shrugged, "I can give you a lift."

Crane blinked in surprise, "You don't have to do that."

"I don't mind. It'll give us more time to catch up. Lot of water under this bridge."

"Well, okay. That'd be a big help, thanks."

"Uh, Crane? Buddy? You want me to bring the truck out when I get it fixed?"

"That'd be great." He turned back to Renee, "Just let me get the bags, and we can go." He pulled the grocery sacks from the truck and followed her down the street. "See ya later, Daniel!"

He heard his brother's response. "Yeah. Later. Count on it!"

**SB4SB**

Riding in Renee's metallic turquoise 'Vette, Crane listened vaguely as she told him of the exciting life she lived in the capital. Still surprised by her sudden appearance in his hometown, he let his mind drift back to when they first met, her voice a pleasant backdrop to his memories.

He'd been completely head over heels from the moment he saw her on campus. She was beautiful, exciting, unpredictable, ambitious. At the time, pretty much the exact opposite of him. Surprising everyone—including Crane himself—she'd said yes when he asked her out. Not that he lacked for confidence, but even then she'd seemed a bit out of his league. But one date led to another and another and another. Soon, they were a steady couple and expected at events together.

He'd been upfront with her from the beginning, though. He didn't want to mislead her about who he was. He and his brothers had to scrimp and scrape to get him through school, and there wasn't much left over for entertaining a busy sorority girlfriend. The surprise was that she seemed okay with that. She didn't mind kicking in money for dinner or tickets and didn't expect him to chauffeur her around—which was good since he didn't have a car. Her background was strictly middle class, but she was an only child and eventually ended getting most of what she needed and wanted from her folks.

After they'd been dating almost a year, he brought her home to meet the family one week between their sophomore and junior years. She'd officially stayed at the rooming house in town, but most of her time was spent with Crane and his brothers at the ranch. It had been an eye opening experience for her to have that many boys and animals around. They'd all been kind to her and on their best behavior, and Crane felt they'd made a good impression. When she left to go home, he didn't notice or expect any difference in his girlfriend when they returned to school in the fall.

He still wasn't certain what had changed. He didn't know if it was her experience at the ranch that week or her job for the rest of the summer. She'd gone to work for her congressman in Washington D.C. in a coveted internship that she'd won over numerous candidates. She spent the summer living the life she dreamed in the high stakes world of big time politics. When she came back for fall quarter, the first month or so was spent recounting endless stories from the many events she'd seen and taken part in, along with details of the inner workings of a congressman's office and the Capitol.

But slowly, Crane began noticing subtle changes in her and their relationship. Little encouragements and suggestions she offered, making him aware that she wished Crane to be somewhat…different. It wasn't blatant requests or arguments, more like a hint that another way of dressing or behaving might be better. Questions and comments that let him know his goals weren't congruent with her own and that she didn't completely understand his ambitions—although she was so clear cut about her own plans that he didn't really see why she couldn't comprehend his, regardless of how modest they seemed.

During the break between winter and spring quarter, a definite chill developed when he refused a request to spend time with her parents. The fact that his brothers had planned an early spring roundup that week—simply because Crane was available to help—seemed to have no bearing at all.

They tried to patch things up during spring quarter, but nothing Crane did seemed good enough. He didn't have enough ambition to suit her, he behaved and dressed like a lumberjack, he was too _provincial!_...he remembered that accusation specifically. And the week before the end of term, they had a huge fight and completely broke it off. For the rest of that week and most of the summer, he'd been depressed and mopey. He'd dreamed of a future with her, hoping she would come to see that life on a small cattle ranch could be good—even great. Having that dream shattered, however unrealistic, was a hard row to hoe. And seeing her around campus their senior year was tough, but he ended up refocusing on his studies and graduated with honors.

Crane was roused from his memories as they got near the turnoff for the ranch, and she began lowering her speed. "It's somewhere near here, isn't it?"

He was surprised she remembered; she'd only been at the ranch that one week. "Yeah, but just keep going. We're leasing a spread just past our place, and I'm living there."

"Well, well. Branching out, are we? And I remember you trying to get me to settle for a little ranch in the mountains. You had plans for expansion all along."

He grinned, "I don't think I ever said we _wouldn't_ expand if the opportunity arose. And at the time, money was so tight that we didn't even consider the idea. Never even crossed our minds."

"But it obviously has now since you've leased the ranch next door."

"Actually even better than that. The place we passed just before ours belonged to a neighbor who let us run cattle on his land. That agreement went back to before Dad passed away. Anyway, the man's granddaughter inherited and eventually decided to sell it to us. We've got a mortgage on _it_ , and we're also leasing the land where I'm living, so our range is more than double what we had when you and I were dating." Crane couldn't help the pride. He and his brothers had worked hard to grow the Circle Bar Seven and were succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. Brian, Daniel, Evan, and Hannah had all contributed outside cash to the fundraising effort that resulted in a college fund for Ford and Guthrie and—eventually—capital for expansion. And when opportunities for growth presented themselves, they'd been ready to move. Now, he could proudly tell Renee that, while his goals in college had been modest, he'd met and surpassed all of them.

"Crane, that's wonderful! I'm very happy that everything's working out for you."

"Thanks. Up here is where you need to turn…on the gravel road."

"This isn't going to tear up my suspension, is it?"

"It shouldn't. But if it causes any damage, Daniel'll fix it."

"What a handsome guy he's grown into!"

"Don't say that around _him!_ He's hard enough to live with already!"

She laughed, "So he's working in a garage?"

"Temp work. Mostly, he's still at the ranch, and he's working on a music career."

Renee glanced over. "Well, if he's serious about music, he'll probably have to leave Carbon County."

Crane's smile dimmed. He knew that would happen if Daniel's music ever really took off. "Well, he and his band go on tour when they can—when things aren't so busy on the ranch. Most of the guys in the band have regular jobs around here just like Daniel, so their tours are seasonal. But they really are good. And Daniel's been writing songs for a long time. He's made some contacts with big names, and he might have a future doing just that."

"But he's working in a garage?"

Crane heard the slight condescension but decided to ignore it for the sake of their friendship. Still, he was going to defend his brother. "Sometimes. He's a _great_ mechanic. The guy who owns the place can't be there twenty-four/seven, and Daniel covers for him from time to time. It's good money, a nice change of pace from the ranch, and he likes it."

"But if he wants a career in music…" She took a deep breath, "Sorry. It's none of my business." Crane was a little surprised she didn’t continue. When they were dating, Renee would have wailed at the lost opportunity, poor focus, and lack of drive. Maybe she _had_ changed.

"Oh, Crane! Is this where you live? It's beautiful!"

He glanced up at the small cottage he and Molly shared. It came with the property, and the owner had requested that they find someone to live there when the McFaddens leased the land. It was a nice, wood frame cabin that had been well maintained despite being over fifty years old. Crane hoped to eventually find a place closer to Bear Valley so Molly wouldn't have to drive so far, but his bride was quick to point out that she made 'barn' calls all over so it didn't matter where they lived. And she really loved being so close to the family. It was about ten miles to drive to the ranch, but only about five going cross country on horseback. Which was how he usually got back and forth since they still had only Molly's Jeep. The only reason he was driving the ranch truck today was to do their grocery shopping.

"It's lovely! I don't know what I was expecting, but this isn't it. This is just so perfect!"

Crane grinned at her reaction. Not what he’d expected from a big city girl who'd tossed him over for not being sophisticated. "Well, I just live here. I can't take credit for how it looks."

"Oh, you! Men! What do you know anyway?"

He shrugged, "Exactly my point." He climbed from the low slung sports car—Daniel was going to love it. Of course, he'd love seeing the driver again just as much or more.

"Well, come on in. Let me show you around." He led Renee up the porch steps and opened the door while struggling with the grocery bags. "Make yourself at home while I put this stuff in the 'fridge."

He headed straight back to the kitchen as she paused by the door. The cottage was basically one large room with stairs by the door leading up to the loft where he and Molly slept. Windows overlooking the porch stretched out to the right with a fireplace on the side near the front. Gathered around the hearth were a couple of easy chairs, a coffee table, and the sofa. Behind the living room furniture was a small dinette, and the kitchen was in the rear of the cabin with a bathroom tucked under the stairs.

"This is so cozy, Crane. You must love it!"

"Yeah, it's been perfect actually." He threw the ice cream in the freezer and tucked the eggs in the door of the refrigerator. Then he contemplated supper as he looked back to his guest. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I owe you for the lift."

She looked at him for a moment. "You don't owe me anything, but dinner would be nice if it won't put you out. I’d hate for you to do to anything special on my account."

He smiled, "No trouble. I imagine Daniel will join us since he's bringing the truck out."

She pursed her lips and then shrugged. "Well, sure. I'd love to."

"Then it's settled." He glanced at the clock and realized he needed to go ahead and get started. Molly would be home pretty soon. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"How 'bout a beer?"

Crane blinked in surprise. She'd never really liked beer when they were in school, always leaning toward more sophisticated mixed drinks and wine. But tastes could change, so… "You got it." He grabbed a couple and popped the caps as he considered what to do about food. He'd planned hamburgers, but with company—and one of Crane's old girlfriends at that—Molly would _not_ be happy if they served their guests junk food. So…spaghetti. He'd use the meat in the sauce, dress up some noodles, turn the hamburger buns into garlic toast, and open a bottle of wine.

"So tell me more about your brothers. You said Adam got married?"

He started chopping an onion for the sauce. "Yep. That's a funny story."

She joined him in the kitchen. "Tell me."

"So everybody but me and Guthrie were out on roundup—this was about three, four years ago—and they come home after a week in the mountains. Adam cleans up and goes straight to town without any explanation. He comes home a couple hours later…with a wife."

"You’re kidding?"

" _We_ didn't know he was seeing anyone, and _she_ hadn't met us and didn't know we all lived at the ranch together."

"Oh my—!" She laughed, "She'd never even _met_ you? I'd have killed him."

He chuckled, "If we weren't used to surprises—and if Hannah hadn't been pretty open and flexible—I'm sure we'd have had either a funeral or an annulment in the first few days! But we all rolled with it. It was a crazy start for them, but she really came through for us in a _big_ way. She's terrific, and the two of them are really happy."

"That's amazing! And a really great story. Do they have kids?"

Crane's smile dimmed a fraction, remembering the ectopic pregnancy that almost claimed Hannah's life. "Not yet, but they're not worried. Not like there aren't plenty of people in the house."

"Everybody else is still there?"

"Most of the time. Brian's still at home. He sometimes takes a job at a lumber camp up in the mountains to remind himself how much he loves the ranch. He's always had a little wanderlust, and it's good for him to get away every now and then. Daniel has his band, and they go on tour when they can.

"Evan grew into a rodeo cowboy. He's been on the circuit for a couple years and doing pretty well. It's not a full time thing for him, but he's away—off and on—about six months a year. He comes home every two or three weeks, works on the ranch a while, and then heads out again for another rodeo or two. He also trains horses when he has time. So he keeps pretty busy.

"Ford is up at Davis now, studying animal science and management. He's also a volunteer paramedic with our local rescue squad when he's at home. And _little_ Guthrie just turned sixteen; he’s tall and has this deep voice that still shocks the heck out of me whenever I hear it."

"Good looking son of a gun like his big brothers, I imagine."

"Breaking hearts all over Carbon County."

She smiled as he stirred the meat into the pot. "Well, I'm happy for you, Crane. Everything you always talked about in school, and it's happening for you."

He nodded once, glad that she remembered. "Thanks. Looks like we both achieved our goals."

"Well, yes, but you know I’m never satisfied. When I achieve one objective, I'm on to the next. There's always something bigger and brighter to reach for."

He laughed, "I should've known. 'Content' is never a word I would use to describe Renee Tessler."

She glanced around the cottage. "I don't know. This is looking pretty good, and you seem happy."

He shrugged and smiled. "I am."

He heard a car door slam and voices coming up the porch steps. Sounded like Molly and Daniel had both arrived at the same time.

The door flew open as Daniel burst in, and Dr. Molly McGraw followed with a big smile on her face.

Daniel called out in awe, "Crane, is that Renee's car?"

Molly's salutation quickly followed, "Hi, honey!"

Crane pulled his wife into a hug as her lips met his. "Hi, yourself. I missed you."

She grinned, "I missed you, too. Sounds like you had an interesting day."

He looked a question at her, not understanding her reference.

"The tires? Daniel said you had two flats."

He shrugged, "I guess I drove through something." He just couldn't quit smiling whenever she was close.

Renee had followed Crane back to the living room, and Daniel stood beside her. "Actually, you didn't. The air was let out."

That pulled Crane's attention away from Molly. "What? How'd that happen?"

"Can't answer that. The tires are fine; I just re-inflated them."

"That doesn't make sense, Daniel."

His brother shrugged. "Just telling you, man."

Molly poked Crane in the shoulder from where she stood in his embrace. "Honey, are you going to introduce us?" A tilt of her head toward Renee reminded him of his social obligations.

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry. Renee Tessler, I'd like to introduce my wife, Dr. Molly McGraw McFadden. Molly, this is Renee. We dated in college."

Molly leaned forward and offered her hand. "Pleased to meet you, and welcome to our home."

Renee blinked and then shook her head with a slight smile as she returned the handshake. "I'm sorry for being so dumbstruck, but your husband failed to mention he'd gotten _married_."

Then it was Crane's turn to blink in surprise as laughter burst out of Molly and Daniel. "Are you sure?"

"I think I would remember you saying you had a wife, Crane." Renee’s voice held a hint of humor.

He quickly reviewed their conversation and realized he probably hadn't. Of course, he had considered himself part of a couple for so long that he forgot that some people didn't already know about Molly. It never even occurred to him anymore that he wasn't half of a duet. He was embarrassed and grateful that Molly saw the humor. "I'm sorry, Renee. I forget that everyone doesn't know how happy I am as a husband."

Molly stroked his face and kissed his cheek, and Crane found his arms pulling her close again. Geez, he was completely head over heels.

Daniel cleared his throat significantly. "Do I smell food?"

Crane grinned and managed to tear himself away from Molly. "Yes, you do. And I need to get back to it. Renee's staying for dinner. I suppose you expect to as well?"

Daniel's smile was broad. "I do expect. I did do all that work on the truck."

Crane smirked, "Yeah, hard work blowing up tires."

 


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel sat in the arm chair beside Renee Tessler. A lot more stunning than he remembered, and his teenage hormones had thought she was just about the most beautiful creature in the world when Crane brought her home that summer. Now, she was… Wow!

All the brothers had known about Renee when they were dating. Crane had pictures of her and the two of them together, but photos had not done her justice. When she came to visit that summer, Daniel had been overwhelmed at his brother's luck and honestly couldn't figure what she saw in him. Crane was great and all, but Renee was centerfold beautiful, and she could've had any man she wanted. Someone rich and famous would have been more likely than a regular joe like Crane McFadden from Murphys.

Of course, when they broke up, Daniel wondered if maybe she'd just been passing time with his brother until she got tired of him, but Crane sure hadn't viewed their relationship that way. He didn't really discuss it, but he'd been torn up when they split. Couldn't room with someone all those years and not know when he was upset. Daniel had encouraged Crane to talk about it, but he didn't—at least not with Daniel. Maybe Crane figured his little brother was too young to understand—and, at the time, he might've been right. Daniel was pretty sure Crane had talked to Adam and Brian, though. Still, he'd dragged around for months after they broke up.

And now Renee was back in Murphys. And looking more amazing than ever. Or maybe Daniel had just grown up and could now appreciate that she was pretty much everything a man could want in a woman. Intelligent, beautiful, hard-working, funny. The whole package.

Daniel glanced back to the kitchen where Crane and Molly were putting the finishing touches on supper. He could see them wrestling in horse play and laughing at each other's moves. Of course, Crane had done just fine when he married Molly just as Adam had with Hannah. Both of his sisters-in-law could hold their own against Renee. Still, a woman like this didn't come along every day…

He turned back and saw Renee watching the lovebirds as well. "So, Renee, it's been a long time. I couldn't believe it when I saw you in town. You look amazing!"

After a long second, she turned to Daniel. "I never expected to be back in Murphys either, but I go where the job takes me."

"What is it you do now? I remember you were hoping to go into politics or something."

Her smile was dazzling. "That's right. I'm surprised you remember. That was a long time ago."

"You're pretty unforgettable."

Her eyes softened, "I should have realized Crane's brother would be a charmer."

Daniel tried to beat back his hope. She thought he was charming.

"Anyway, I'm a lobbyist."

Daniel didn't pay much attention to politics. He wasn't exactly sure what a _lobbyist_ did but didn't want to seem ignorant. So he nodded encouragingly and hoped for more information.

"I'm in Carbon County to do research for a client, so that when his bill comes up in Sacramento, we'll be able to demonstrate to the legislators that they should vote his way."

Sounded important. And maybe a little sneaky, but Daniel was pretty sure he'd missed something about what the job entailed. "What kind of research? Maybe we could help."

She glanced back to the kitchen when Molly laughed. "I'm afraid I can't say. There are rules about client privacy, but I appreciate the offer."

Too bad. He sure wouldn't mind spending a little more time with her.

Crane brought a couple of dishes to the table. "Okay, you two, looks like we're about ready. Come and get it."

Daniel stood and offered his hand. "Shall we?"

She looked at his hand and then accepted it, turning her gaze to Daniel. Her smile was intriguing. "I suppose we shall."

**SB4SB**

Crane watched, vaguely surprised, as Renee and Daniel conversed at the table, really hitting it off. Their heads leaned close together, and the smiles were flirtatious. Not that there was anything wrong, but frankly, Crane was…bewildered.

Next to him, Molly grinned her approval. He'd worried initially that she might be a little upset to come home and find her husband entertaining an old girlfriend. That concern had proven unnecessary when he tried to explain himself in the kitchen as she nodded, mockingly serious. But she was unable to sustain the charade and finally started laughing. She enveloped him in an embrace leading to a little groping that might have proven embarrassing in front of their guests. Fortunately—or unfortunately depending on one's point of view—they'd managed to get their hands under control before Renee and Daniel noticed.

Conversation flowed freely as Renee and Molly got to know a bit about each other and traded funny insults about Crane's habits. He didn't find it the least bit amusing and got a little ticked off when Daniel joined in. Daniel pointed out that he'd known and lived with Crane longer than the two ladies put together and if anyone had a right to comment and complain, it was him. Of course, then Crane was able to inform the girls about some of Daniel's more… _endearing_ …habits. Turn about being fair play and all that.

The result was a night of enjoyable food and laughter. While still a bit thrown by a possible match of his old girl friend and his younger brother, Crane had to admit they seemed to hit it off. And he certainly couldn't begrudge Daniel's taste. Renee was a fascinating woman who had a gravity and magnetism that wasn't explained by her beauty alone.

When dinner was over, he and Molly cleared the table as their guests moved to the sofa to talk. Sitting some of the dishes in the sink, his wife turned toward him with a head tilt toward their guests. "So, this is an interesting development."

"Isn't it?"

"How do you feel about it?"

He shrugged a little. "I'm not sure. Peculiar? Not that he'd be interested in her—that doesn't strike me as strange at all. But that she'd be interested in him…?"

Molly offered a small grin. "I'm glad he didn't hear that 'cause I think you just insulted your brother. Almost like you don't think he'd measure up."

He breathed a wry laugh. "It's not that. See, Renee and I broke up because she didn't think I was good enough. I wasn't ambitious enough, I always planned to come back home. My goals were way too small.   And from what I learned today about her career, I don't think she's changed all that much. So if I wasn't enough, then how is Daniel?"

Molly bit her lip pensively. "Well, people change. But if she hasn't, then I can think of a couple reasons. One—she's just looking for some fun and is attracted to him. Or two—she sees how happy we are and wants to get back at you by going out with your brother."

Crane took a deep breath as he thought about that. He headed back to the table to pick up another load and glanced at the sofa where the two heads were close together in conversation. Coming back to the kitchen, he looked at Molly. "Either way, Daniel might get hurt. I sure don't see a possibility of her settling down around here."

"Maybe he'd go with her."

The idea startled him to a standstill. "You think?"

"If he loved her. Honey, I don't know—I just met her. She seems nice, but I don't know her. And really, since all this time has passed, you don't know her anymore either. And you're speculating on a relationship that might not even develop. Why don't you just wait and see what happens? It could be that you're worrying about nothing."

He glanced back as their guests laughed about something. Molly was right. He was putting the cart _way_ before the horse. Renee and Daniel hadn't seen each other in years—Daniel had only been fourteen or fifteen the last time. And Renee was just in town temporarily. They were merely renewing acquaintances and finding out about each other as adults. He needed to take a deep breath and get his older-brother, worrywart tendencies back under control. "You're right. As usual."

His lovely bride smiled winningly. "You are _so_ smart. It's why I married you."

"And here I believed it was because you thought I was sexy."

"Don't flatter yourself, mister."

Crane just looked at her. He was rewarded when she blushed and turned away.

"We have guests. Don't start that now."

Crane let loose a dirty laugh that made her grin as she washed the dishes.

**SB4SB**

Daniel lay in bed, hands behind his head. It was early morning, and he could hear Brian in the next room, getting ready to head down to help Hannah with breakfast. For all the ribbing they gave him growing up—and even now—Brian had become a great cook over the years. Though he'd never admit it, it was clear he actually enjoyed time in the kitchen. And breakfast was his specialty.

It was still dark when Brian walked over to pound on their door. It'd be nice to sleep till sunrise, but that didn't happen too often on a working ranch in the fall. Too much to get done as the days got shorter. And since Daniel was covering for Walt this week, it left even more for his brothers to do. Which was one of the reasons Evan was home for a while.

But this morning, Daniel was already awake despite not getting much sleep. Renee had given him a lift home after dinner, so Daniel left the truck for Crane to drive to the ranch this morning. Good lord, she was amazing! Not that Daniel expected anything, seeing her again after all these years, but wow!

He’d kind of butted in on dinner last night, not really giving Crane and Molly a chance to kick him out. Not that he didn't enjoy spending time with them, but the real draw had been Renee. He’d done his best to be entertaining and interesting, let her know that he wasn't just a teenage kid brother anymore. He was his own man now outside of Crane's long shadow—one huge plus being that Daniel wasn't married to a brilliant and beautiful horse surgeon.

Crane must've told Renee some stuff about the family because she'd asked about the band. Daniel took that as a sign that she was possibly interested anyway, and he told her about the tours he'd done and the contacts he'd made in songwriting. She reacted with delight and encouragement, and it only made Daniel more hopeful about asking her out again.

Supper felt like two couples getting together for a double date even though it was really a couple and two singles. They laughed and told stories, and it was fantastic. And when she offered him a ride home, it just topped off a great night.

So he'd gotten in her hot rod, and they drove back to the ranch. He suddenly wished they lived a lot farther than a ten mile drive so he could spend a little more time with her. And even though it was dark, she'd looked at the house and buildings and said it was just as she remembered. And said it fondly, too. Daniel liked hearing that tone in her voice.

Then to finish off a perfect evening, she kissed him. Just a quick one, but still. Daniel was stunned; he couldn't believe she made the first move. And though he badly wanted it to continue, he stopped himself, remembering it was still a first date—well, not _really_ a date, but since she kissed him goodnight, he figured he should treat it that way.

He suggested lunch as a follow up to a promising beginning and was thrilled when she agreed. He pulled one of Wally's cards from his wallet and gave it to her, telling her to call whenever she had time. He couldn't wait to see her again.

Suddenly, a pillow crashed into Daniel's face, abruptly bringing him back to Tuesday morning. "Hey!" He yanked it away and saw Evan dressed and pulling on his boots. When did that happened? Daniel hadn't heard him at all. Weird that he heard Brian's every move next door but not his own roommate. Where was his brain?

"You planning on getting up today?"

Daniel grinned, "Maybe."

"You're staring at the ceiling."

"It's an interesting ceiling, okay?"

Evan's lips twitched, "It's Renee."

Daniel couldn't help his grin. The family’d heard her car last night, and he’d had to tell them who’d given him a ride. And then bear up under the relentless teasing that resulted. Everybody thought he should've invited her in, but he suspected they’d had different motives. Adam and Hannah wanted to be hospitable, Brian and Evan so they could get a shot at her, and Guthrie so he could tease Daniel. Daniel wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he wasn't stupid by a long shot. "I'm gonna have lunch with her; did I mention that?"

"I'm riding fence, and you're having lunch with a beautiful woman. How is that fair?"

"Never claimed it was, Little Brother."

Evan shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm not leaving you any breakfast if you don't get to the table on time. Just so you know…" He headed out the door as Daniel finally crawled out of bed.

He realized he was infatuated—it was one _sort of_ date—but he couldn't stop the possibilities running through his head. He'd never expected a chance with a woman like Renee. He frowned briefly, remembering the occasional looks he'd gotten from Crane last night…like he couldn't believe it either. He hoped Crane wasn't upset. Surely an old girlfriend wasn't out of bounds. Was she? In Daniel's experience, the only situation that came close to this was the thing between him and Brian and Tally Dean. And this wasn't really the same. Of course, no girl could ever come between Daniel and one of his brothers—he'd never let that happen. But he'd sure like to explore this possibility.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Crane drove to the house before breakfast so he could give Daniel a ride to the garage. During the drive to town, Daniel asked if it was okay to go out with Renee. Crane told him it was fine, but mindful of his discussion with Molly about Renee's possible motives, Crane cautioned Daniel, telling him the reasons for their breakup in college. She wasn't a lady interested in settling down—especially on a small cattle ranch in a backwoods like Murphys. Daniel grinned from ear to ear and nodded, but Crane got the impression that everything was going in one ear and right out the other without even registering. Well, Renee always did have a way of making caution disappear. Crane just hoped she didn't break Daniel's heart in the process.

And while Crane told Daniel it was okay for them to go out, he had to admit, if only to himself, that it felt weird. He was happily married, crazy in love with his wife, couldn't be more content…but to know his old girlfriend was now dating his younger brother felt…uncomfortable. Adam, Brian, and Hannah each came to him during the day and asked if he was okay with the situation. He convinced them he was fine. Either that or they just let it go. But he also realized they knew him just as well as anyone and would understand if it did rankle a bit regardless of what he said.

Molly was fantastic—quiet or distracting or pretty much whatever Crane needed at any given moment. Amazing woman, his wife. As the week progressed, he kept getting reminded of that as she looked at him with understanding whenever he felt just the tiniest bit unsettled about the whole situation. She never got upset or jealous or angry…just stayed available for him. Geez, he loved her!

Daniel had been on cloud nine since dinner Monday night. At least that's what Crane heard. He didn't actually see much of Daniel after his brother asked for Crane's blessing. Reportedly, he and Renee had lunch every day as Daniel was working in town. And then they went out almost every night. Daniel had been over the moon according to the family. They were all pretty much just rolling their eyes at him now. But he was a crash waiting to happen as far as Crane could figure.

Now, here it was Friday night, and Crane was looking forward to some quality time with his wife. He told the family he was cutting out early—plans already made, etc. Of course, he didn't mention that the plans involved a surprise romantic dinner to thank his bride for being so understanding. He rode Gypsy home and set out a couple of steaks and wine. Of course, dinner was just the prelude; he had bigger plans for after.

Right after he started setting the cabin for romance, Molly phoned and said she'd been called to a ranch near Glencoe for a foaling, but she'd be home right after. He adjusted his time table for the delay and went on with the plans.

Then he got another call—this time from Hannah. Molly had phoned and asked Evan to come help her as the mare was having problems. She did this occasionally since Evan was so good with animals of any shape and size, and he'd become very adept as her assistant when she needed help in the field. Brian had a date with a girl in Mokelumne Hill, so he dropped Evan at the ranch where Molly was working because Ford (home from Davis for the weekend) and Guthrie were borrowing Evan's truck for a double date that night.  

Crane sighed. A difficult foaling generally meant a long afternoon that might stretch into evening. He decided to put the steaks and shrimp back in the 'fridge and make a meatloaf instead. It could easily be reheated if Molly ran late. He'd tell her of his plans, let her rue the mare’s rotten timing, and they'd reschedule for another day. She'd appreciate his effort at any rate.

After he put the meatloaf in the oven, he pulled out the calendar and began listing some of the late fall and early winter activities on the ranch. These days, he had to work everything around his brothers’ outside work schedules as well. Crane had slowly been introducing Ford to some of the ranch accounts; maybe it was time to work in some of the scheduling as well.

Outside, the afternoon slid into evening, and Crane put away the candles he'd had on the table. He turned on the lights in the living room to welcome his lady home after a long day even though it banished the romantic atmosphere he'd planned. They'd just have their date another night. And it didn't mean that they couldn't go ahead with his after dinner plans anyhow.

Finally, he heard her Jeep. He put away the calendar and notepad and took the meatloaf and potato casserole out of the oven where they'd been keeping warm. He turned off the stove top for the side of green beans and threw the rolls into the oven to crisp up. He turned as he heard the door open and saw Molly come in. With Evan.

That was just…terrific.

She trudged back to the kitchen, and Crane wrapped his arms around her. She was bone tired and mostly just collapsed in his arms. "Hi."  

"You smell horse-y."

"We both do."

He caressed her cheek. "Why don’t you two get cleaned up, and by then, I'll have the food on the table." He looked at Evan leaning wearily against the back of the sofa. "Hit the head. I'll grab ya a clean shirt."

Crane ran hot water in a basin and took it to the loft so Molly could freshen up. Once there, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

She dropped her head on his shoulder, "Even horse smell doesn’t scare you away…such a romantic I married. "

"I was trying to be, but my wife keeps working all these long hours."

She pulled back to look at him. "Seriously?"

"I had big plans for tonight."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry."

"It'll keep. Steaks and shrimp are in the 'fridge."

" _And_ shrimp? Oh, honey. I'm so—" She looked crushed.

"No harm done. I just wanted to thank you for being so great this week. We’ll do it another time."

She rested her forehead against his. They were a perfect fit. "I love you so much. Even when I screw up your sweet plans."

"I love you, too. Just trying to show you how much. And then you bring my brother home with you."

She buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry. It's just that he worked so hard for me today, and he never lets me pay him anything. I really felt like I owed him supper at least."

Grateful that his wife and brothers loved each other so much, Crane shook his head, "Don't worry about it. He'll never know what he interrupted, and we’ll still have a good time…especially after I take him home."

She grinned in anticipation and kissed him with relish. Great heavens, what a woman he’d married!

When they got downstairs, he tossed a clean sweatshirt at Evan as Molly hurried into the bathroom.

"Gimme a job, big brother."

Crane had Evan set another place at the table as he dished up the food. Soon, the three of them were eating, and Crane got the high points of the foaling. Still a little unhappy with the outcome of his plans, Crane asked why his brother wasn't on a date that night, and Evan reported that he was seeing his girl of the month the following evening. They were going to see Daniel's band at a club near San Andreas—which was actually where Brian and his girl were right then. Just too bad for Crane that Evan’s date hadn't been scheduled for tonight. Not that he didn't love having his brothers over, but he would like to be able to plan a night without one of them being a third wheel. How Adam and Hannah had managed with six extra wheels was beyond him.

After supper was over, Crane and Molly cleaned up the kitchen, and Evan waited on the sofa. It was kind of late for them to be eating supper—nearly nine o'clock—but that was how it happened sometimes on a ranch. Husband and wife talked quietly and laughed with each other, anticipating the rest of their evening together. It didn't take long to set everything right, and Crane grabbed the keys to Molly's Jeep so he could run Evan home.

Instead, he found his brother asleep against the arm of the couch. He let out a deep sigh as Molly walked up. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and murmured her apologies once again.

Crane's disappointment was great. "I could wake him up."

"Oh, honey, don't do that. Please."

"We can't… _enjoy_ tonight…if he's here. He might hear us."

"I know, but— Come upstairs, so we don't wake him."

He followed her to their bed and glanced over the loft railing to where Evan had literally fallen asleep sitting up. Molly pulled Crane over to sit on the bed.

"What we told you about the foaling was just the tip of the iceberg. I might well have lost that mare and her foal if Evan hadn't been there. It was a big colt, and she tried to birth him through the rectum. The tear was substantial, and I had to fix it right then or she would have bled to death. Meanwhile, Evan was trying to work the foal out the right way, but the colt got twisted and his presentation was wrong. We finally got him turned, but by then, the mare was so worn out that she didn't have the strength to push. I thought I was going to have to do a cesarean, but Evan kept pulling and we finally got him out. And then there was the afterbirth and making sure the colt was all right…

"Honey, I know you had plans for tonight and I love you for trying, but please don't wake him. We'll have our romantic evening tomorrow with all the bells and whistles and lingerie you want. How 'bout that, cowboy?"

Hearing about their hard day, Crane didn't have the heart to wake Evan up just to take him home. He thumbed Molly's cheek and kissed her tenderly. "I'm gonna hold you to that, doctor lady. And you look like you could use some rest, too, so why don't you lie down, and I'll let the family know Evan's on the couch."

"Thank you."

"I'll be right back, and we can do some serious…cuddling. That won't wake him up, will it?"

She shook her head with a smile and held her finger to her mouth in a shushing motion.

He went to the phone in the kitchen and quietly called the house, telling Hannah that he and Evan would see everybody in the morning. Then he pulled a blanket from the extra linen. He removed Evan's boots and eased him down to lie flat, placing the blanket over him. Evan never even stirred. Crane turned off the lamps and headed back to the loft.

Molly was waiting, and they wrapped each other in love. What an amazing woman he'd married. She loved him, she loved his brothers, she loved their life. How could he ever want more?

 


	4. Chapter 4

Evan was uncomfortable. He shifted and tried to sink back into deeper sleep.

Still uncomfortable. Hot. He pushed off the covers and hunched deeper into the pillow.

Didn't help. Hot and getting worse. He really didn't want to wake up, but the heat... Much more, and he'd have to pull off his PJs. He tried to flip over and rolled into…something.

That did it. Evan cracked his eyes enough to figure out he was asleep on a couch…Crane's couch. How…? He shut his eyes and remembered the foaling, dinner, and sitting down to wait for Crane or Molly to take him home. He must have fallen asleep on their sofa. He should've just borrowed Gyp or Ruby and ridden home right after supper.

He sighed deeply, ready to go back to sleep, but distractions kept poking him. Not only was he hot, but he could hear…crackling and a faint rumble. And shadows were dancing on his eyelids—like the T.V. was on. And he smelled…smoke. Smoke?

Fully opening his eyes, he looked at the ceiling far above. The loft where Crane and Molly slept didn't hang this far over the first floor, so he could see straight up two stories. But it was the dancing, orange shadows all around that caught Evan's attention. In the back near the kitchen, by the fireplace, and out the side windows, flames were climbing the walls. The house was on fire!

"Crane!! Molly!!" Evan vaulted up the stairs. The smoke was a lot worse up there—he couldn't see his hand in front of his face and breathing was next to impossible. Coughing, he dropped to the floor and crawled to where the bed should be. He and the guys had moved Crane and Molly in, but that was months ago. He just prayed his brother hadn't moved the bed since then.

Seemingly an eternity later, he felt the mattress and reached up, finding a leg. He scrambled to the head of the bed and tried to rouse them. "Molly! Crane! Wake up! Fire!" No response. Evan was terrified they might've already succumbed to the smoke—so much thicker up here. _No!!_ They couldn't be gone! They _couldn't!_

He pulled Molly to the edge of the bed. The sheet and blanket came too, and Evan scooped her into his arms. Unable to see, coughing with a vise around his chest, feeling his way along with his feet, he finally found the top of the stairs. The steps were narrow and steep in the little house. He had to be careful going down, or he risked falling and dropping Molly. It seemed to take forever, but finally, he stumbled to the porch and saw flames creeping across the front and up to the roof. He had to move faster.

About fifty feet from the house, he dropped to his knees and laid Molly on the grass. In the cool night air, his head, lungs, and vision cleared a bit. Enough to see that Molly was breathing anyway. Racing back across the yard, he could see the fire was moving fast. The entire side of the house was ablaze, and the porch was going to be impassable soon. Not stopping to think, he rushed inside, sprinting up the stairs.

He didn't waste breath calling for Crane. He had to get him outside, or they would both die in the cabin. The smoke was thicker and, from what little he could see, had a red and orange glow to it. Above him came a sound like a bowling ball, and he realized the flames were racing across the roof. Sparks and embers were beginning to rain down, and Evan ran across the loft till he tripped over the bed and fell on Crane. The air itself blazing around him, he pulled his brother over one shoulder in a classic fireman's carry. Turning to go back down, he had to take a deep breath. The smoke made him cough—which made him inhale—which made him cough more—which made him inhale more. The heat was beyond anything he'd ever imagined, and his throat felt like he'd swallowed fiery barbed wire. His chest was too tight to catch a breath, and the world was tilting in strange directions.

Stumbling back to the head of the stairs, he heard the roar of the fire and the crack of the old wood around him. _And above him_. Unable to see as black spots filled his vision, he held Crane with one arm and reached for the banister with the other. The heat bled into his hand, and his skin felt like someone had gone over it with a boiling hot scouring pad. Hurrying as fast as he could even as the world around him began fading to black, he managed to get down and out the door just as fiery beams crashed down. One last push through the heat of the porch and he staggered across the yard to Molly.

Almost out of control, Evan fell, twisting so his brother landed mostly on him. At least Crane wouldn't have a concussion from being whacked on the head, but his brother's weight knocked the rest of Evan's wind out of him. Coughing violently as he tried to clear his lungs and drag in oxygen, he struggled to get untangled from Crane. Dear God, let him be alive! Please!

Still barely able to see through streaming eyes, Evan couldn't tell if Crane was breathing or not, but he finally found a slow, uneven pulse. Then, in the shadows, he detected the faint rise and fall of Crane's chest. Looking over at Molly, her breathing was steadier. Evan coughed out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he realized they would all survive. Thank God!

Behind him, he heard a loud crack and turned just in time to see the back of the house slump into itself. How close they came! Evan couldn't see the far side of the cottage, but he imagined it was just as bad. Another loud creak and like a house of cards, the rest of the cabin sagged and then came down with a thunderous roar as flames surged upward. Heat and cinders blew into his face as Evan threw himself across Crane and Molly to protect them from the rain of fire. After an endless minute or two, he pushed himself to his knees and looked back at the fierce blaze. Kneeling beside his family, Evan hoped someone might see the flames and call for help although the likelihood was small. The cabin was miles from the road and not in direct view of any neighbor. Molly's jeep was out of danger, but Evan had no intention of leaving his family to get help when the cabin was a total loss anyway.

Then, over the roar of the fire, Evan heard a faint scream. Glancing away from the inferno, he didn't see anything, but the cries continued. Then he realized it was a horse. Crane and Molly were lying exactly opposite of where the barn was located on the other side of the house. Evan couldn't see the structure but quickly realized it might also be on fire. Gypsy and Ruby were in there, and the old, dry wood would probably go up quicker than the cabin.

Running around the house, he saw the front of the barn ablaze. He sprinted down the near side and found the back door still passable. He lifted the latch and shoved against the huge sliding door, heaving it open. The heat was stifling, but at least the smoke wasn't as bad as it had been in the house. The large two story barn had a lot of space for the smoke upstairs, but a shower of small embers was already falling.

The horses were screaming in terror. Ruby was closest, and she reared up in fright. Evan dodged her hooves and grabbed her halter. She went up again, taking him with her, but his weight on her head pulled her down fast. On the post was a lead rope, and Evan hooked it to her halter and tried to pull her out, but she was too scared to come with him. He finally remembered that horses could sometimes be coaxed out if they couldn't see the source of their fear. He pulled out his bandana and drew it across her eyes. It still took some yanking, but he finally got her out of the stall. Near the back door, he unhooked the lead and pulled the bandana off. She smelled and felt the clean, cool air and sprinted into the corral behind the barn.

Vaguely, he noted pieces of the burning roof falling around him, but he knew better than to look up. He found Gypsy kicking the stall as flames encroached on her space. In a replay of what happened with Ruby, Evan had to shield himself from Gypsy's hooves as he tried to attach the lead rope and bandana. She didn't like being blinded, but at least she was finally moving away from the heat of the outside wall.

Getting to the central hallway again, Evan could see fire all around him. Flaming beams were crashing down, creating an obstacle course as embers dropped on him and the horse. Almost everything in the barn was flammable, and it was being consumed a lot faster than the house. He had to pull Gypsy against her instincts as the back wall was now on fire, too. Once they got to the door, Evan reached to unlatch the rope. Gypsy, sensing the safety of the outdoors, pushed into him in her rush to escape.

Evan fell against the door frame and felt the brush of fire. He pushed away and dropped to the ground, rolling to put out any flames. Just as he started to get up, he heard a crash and—

**SB4SB**

Crane heard his name from far away and recognized Molly's voice. He pried his eyes open and noted blurry, hazy shapes all around. God, his head hurt. And his chest. And his abdomen. And—

"Crane! Take a breath! Breathe, honey, _breathe!"_

Everything snapped into sharp focus when he started coughing uncontrollably, rolling to his side. Geez, his chest hurt! Molly leaned over him, one side of her face shrouded in darkness, the other dancing in bright, flickering shadows. He noted the hard, lumpy, damp surface beneath him. What was going on? Once his cough was slightly better, he croaked, "Honey? What—?"

"The house is on fire, Crane!"

He turned his head quickly and saw what was left of the cottage. It was a hellish pyre, completely destroyed. What in the world…?

"Crane! Evan must've gotten us out! I don't know where he is!" She sounded hysterical.

He glanced back at her and coughed again, trying to kick start his brain. Evan? Evan…had come home with Molly after the foaling. He had supper with them. Fell asleep on the couch. Crane had been annoyed that Evan interrupted his plans with Molly. Evan. _Dear God!_

Crane tore from Molly's grasp and rolled to his feet. He was seized by throbbing dizziness and another extended coughing fit that bent him double. When he was able to look at the house again, he felt overwhelmed by its utter destruction. _"Evan!!"_ His throat felt raw from smoke.

He glanced around helplessly. Whatever was in the house was gone now. It had completely collapsed, and anyone still inside could never have survived. Oh God! No, please, no! He shambled around the front, hoping to find some sign, another answer to what his oxygen deprived brain was telling him. Then he saw the barn. It was engulfed as well, and it finally hit him that Evan had no reason to go back in the cabin after getting them out. But the horses were in the barn! " _Evan!!_ " He had to find him!

Pushing himself toward the barn, he searched for a way in. Then his arm was caught, and he was pulled around. Molly clung to him. "Crane, no! You can't go in there!"

"Evan's in there! He's gotta be! He went for the horses! Let me go! I have to get him!"

 


	5. Chapter 5

Guthrie glanced over at Ford. It had been a great night. Friday night in the fall, and the Bullfrog football team even had a winning record. Of course, regardless of whether or not they won, football games were fun and a good place to snuggle under a blanket with a girl. Guthrie had gone with a girl named Denise that he'd been seeing for a month or two, and Ford had taken his longtime girl, Cleo, who was home for the weekend from Berkeley. After the game, they went for pizza. Now, it was nearly one in the morning, and they were driving home on the back roads after dropping Denise at her house.

Heading toward the ranch, Guthrie noticed something odd about the sky. "Ford, what is that?"

Ford was staring too. "I'm not sure."

"A fire?"

"Must be."

Guthrie turned to see Ford's face, a picture of confusion as he tried to puzzle it out. "What's out there other than trees?"

"Well, our house, but that's not really where it is. It's this side of our place."

"Not Crane and Molly?"

Ford met Guthrie's eyes briefly. "Could be. We better check."

Guthrie felt the truck and his heart rate speed up. Ford finally made the turn to Crane and Molly's cabin. The orange glow in the sky was brighter, and the closer they got to the cottage, the more dread Guthrie felt in his chest. Ford looked grim.

Once around the last curve in the drive, an inferno filled the landscape. Guthrie sucked a deep breath in fear for his family. He jumped out as soon the truck slid to a stop by Molly's Jeep. He briefly stared at the pile of flaming debris then sprinted forward. " _Crane! Molly!_ " Oh, dear Lord, please let them have gotten out!

He heard something over the roar and jerked Ford to a halt. On the other side of the house, the barn was also on fire, but, miraculously, it was still standing. Out front, Molly was holding Crane back as he struggled toward the barn. Thank God they were safe! Guthrie sped toward them, Ford matching him stride for stride.

"Crane! Molly!"

"You can't go in there!"

Their brother and sister-in-law eyed them in confusion, and then Crane yelled over the roar of the flames. "Evan's in there!"

Guthrie stared at him, not wanting to believe. He heard Ford, "Evan? What's he—?"

Guthrie eyed the barn. They didn't have long. "I'll go this way!" He took off down the far side, knowing Ford would take the other. The wall he'd chosen was completely ablaze, and he found no way inside till he got to the back. Though it was on fire as well, it wasn't completely engulfed yet, and the rear door was wide open. As he started to run inside, Guthrie tripped over a pile of fence lumber. He vaguely remembered Crane mentioning a plan to replace some of the old corral, and he must have had the rails leaning against the barn before they tumbled to the ground. Cinders and burning coals were falling on the planks, and they were about to catch fire and completely obstruct the door.

Despite the urgency to get inside, Guthrie couldn't let the only exit be blocked before Evan got out, and he started tossing the lumber aside. He was a couple layers down when he found a hand. " _Ford! Crane! Help me!_ " Guthrie scrambled to shove more of the wood to the side.

He had his brother about halfway uncovered when another pair of hands grabbed Evan's right arm. Guthrie took the left, and he and Ford dragged Evan out of the pile and away from the barn that was about to collapse. Crane and Molly waited close by, Crane still straining against Molly's hold.

They were maybe forty feet into the corral when the old barn crashed to the ground with concussive force, knocking them all down. Guthrie threw himself over Evan, then felt Ford pile on them both.

**SB4SB**

Brian pounded up the porch steps and yanked open the screen door. He hurried to the phone, Daniel on his heels. In his rush, he’d vaguely noted that Evan's truck was still gone, so Ford and Guthrie hadn't come in from the game yet. Brian had taken his date to see Daniel's band in San Andreas, dropped her at home after the show, and then gone back to pick up his brother, saving the band a trip to the Circle Bar Seven. That meant Adam, Hannah, and Evan were in the house. In case there really was something going on at Crane’s place. That glow in the sky had Brian nervous.

Brian dialed and waited impatiently for it to ring. Instead, a recording came on that the number was temporarily disconnected. Brian pulled the receiver away from his ear so Daniel could hear, and his brother's face switched from worry to outright fear. He raced up the stairs, yelling, as Brian asked the operator to send the fire department.   Then he followed Daniel and stopped at Adam’s and Hannah's room as his brother went to rouse Evan. Normally, Brian wouldn't just barge in, but this was too urgent to worry about whatever husband and wife might be up to. He burst in without knocking. "Adam, I think Crane's house might be on fire!"

Adam and Hannah had been startled awake by the commotion. At Brian's announcement, they both turned to the windows where the bright orange glow was plainly visible—and brighter—in the sky.

"Oh, no!"

They started pulling on clothes over their pajamas as Daniel rushed back in. "Where's Evan?"

Adam went still, and Hannah flashed to the window. "He's at Crane's! He fell asleep on their couch!"

Brian swallowed reflexively at the bile in his throat. Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse. Daniel took off running back down the stairs. "C'mon!"

In seconds, Adam joined Brian in the bed of the truck, and Hannah climbed up front with Daniel. As they rode through the darkness, bouncing across the holes and ruts in the ranch road, Brian was silently ticking off the time as he stared at the orange glow. Normally about twenty minutes to get to the cottage, he wondered how much time Daniel could shave off—even in the dark he was a great driver.

Brian figured it for about fifteen minutes when they skidded around the last curve and saw the remains of the cabin. It was hard to distinguish anything besides the two raging fires that used to be the house and the barn, but Brian registered that there were two vehicles out front. A second look confirmed that Evan's truck was sitting by Molly's Jeep. That meant Ford and Guthrie were there, too. Must've been on their way home and saw the glow in the sky just as Brian and Daniel had.

Daniel laid on the horn as he jerked the truck to a sliding stop next to the other vehicles. Everyone moved toward the house, but Brian wasn't sure which direction to go. Then, from the back of the barn, he caught a glimpse of something that turned into Guthrie running toward them, waving his arms to get their attention. He was yelling, but Brian couldn't hear him over the roar of the fire. He slapped Adam on the shoulder and pulled Daniel, and then they were all moving toward the collapsed barn. Brian shielded himself from the overwhelming heat and jumped the corral fence. He caught up with Guthrie who was already running back in the direction he'd come from. Some distance away, the people they loved were sitting or lying in the pasture. Just please let everyone be okay!

After what seemed like forever, they reached the group, and Brian slid to his knees. Crane looked ragged, bare chested and liberally streaked with soot. Evan was out cold, and his head rested in Crane's lap. Crane gently brushed Evan's hair back, speaking softly. Ford and Molly—in a nightgown, equally soot covered—leaned over to examine Evan.

Adam pulled Molly back. "Let Hannah in there."

Molly got hysterical, though, and fought back. "No! Let me go! I can help him! I need—"

Adam kept her arms from swinging wildly as she struggled. He calmly spoke to her, insisting over and over, "Let Hannah. Molly, you've been in a fire, and Hannah can help him just as well as you can. Molly, listen to me…"

Brian turned back to hear Ford's assessment. "He's breathing okay, pulse is steady. Guthrie found him under a pile of lumber—it must've fallen on him. That and the smoke…"

Crane looked stricken as he spoke quietly, his voice gravelly. "He got us out. We woke up in the yard. I…I couldn't find him. I thought he was—" Molly quieted, and Adam let her go. She crawled over and wrapped her arms around Crane from behind, pressing a kiss to his temple and reaching down to stroke Evan's forehead.

The family absorbed the information, and then Hannah turned her attention back to Evan. "Evan? Wake up, now. Can you hear me? Evan, wake up."

"Come on, you lazy bum. You're not getting out of chores just 'cause you want to sleep late." Ford tried to inject teasing into his voice, but it held a note of urgency.

Crane brushed Evan's hair back again, begging. "Evan, please…"

Evan took a sudden deep breath and coughed. Ford grabbed his shirt and rolled him over on his side, leaving Crane scrambling to maintain contact. The violent coughing fit seemed endless, shaking Evan from head to toe. When he finally stopped, Ford eased him back to lie flat, and Evan blinked in confusion at the faces surrounding him, eyes landing on each person for just a moment.

"Where—" He coughed one more time and took a broken breath. "Where'd everybody come from?"

The tension suddenly released, Brian felt a smile cross his face. How long since he and Daniel noticed the glow in the sky as they were driving into the ranch? Twenty minutes? Thirty? Not much longer. Too close.

Guthrie was trembling slightly, and Brian pulled him close. Guthrie buried himself in the embrace and quivered for a second or two. Or maybe it was Brian shaking…hard to tell. Didn't much matter. They were both giving and receiving comfort.

Ford and Hannah asked Evan questions about how many fingers he saw, what had happened and all that, and he answered correctly. He might've hit his head, but it wasn't serious. But on top of everything else… They let him sit up, and he glanced around, finally focusing on Crane and Molly.

Crane shook his head slightly. "Evan…"

Evan surged toward them, initiating a three-way hug they returned with equal force. "Thank God you're all right." Then they were all talking at once.

Molly—"I knew you pulled us out, but—"

Crane—"I couldn't find you; I thought you'd—"

Evan—"I didn't want to leave you, but the horses—"

Crane and Molly both shushed Evan. "We're okay. And you're okay. That's all that matters."

Brian blinked away tears at the confused reunion. Whatever had happened had been intense, and the family would just have to wait to hear the details. Or at least what these three knew of the details anyway. _Way_ too close…

In the distance, sirens were closing in. Daniel stood, wiping his eyes. "I'll go put out some flares to mark the turn." Glad someone was thinking practically, Brian watched as Daniel laid a hand on all three of the endangered family members before moving off. Of course, Daniel had been working at the garage all week. Probably wished he'd seen a few flares when called out in the wrecker.

A few minutes later, the paramedics and fire trucks followed Daniel back up the drive. The firemen jumped down and began pulling hoses. At this point, the only thing to do was wet down the surrounding ground and let the fires burn themselves out.

Ford greeted the paramedics by name, his status as a volunteer in the department coming in handy. He briefed them on his assessment, and they knelt beside Crane, Molly, and Evan. Since everyone was awake, breathing, and coherent, the medics decided to check them out over by the truck.

Shortly, they were all on the other side of the fence and headed toward the paramedic vehicle—after Evan made sure the firemen knew there were two horses probably cowering at the opposite end of the corral. Vital signs and lungs were checked. The paramedics recommended everyone go to County Hospital for evaluation, but all three wearily shook their heads despite the family's encouragement. Crane argued that Evan should get his head examined—which was a little funny even if it wasn't meant to be. Then a patrol car pulled in the drive.

Deputy Sam King climbed out, looking around anxiously. Sam had been in school between Brian and Crane and was a friend to them both and by extension, the whole family. He was in his civvies, and Brian figured he'd been at home when notified that his friend's house was on fire. "Is everybody all right?"

Crane nodded wearily, "We're okay."

"What happened? What started it?"

Crane and Molly, now wrapped in blankets supplied by the paramedics, looked at each other and then at Evan. He shrugged in bewilderment. "I was asleep on the couch and woke up when I got hot. The house was already on fire. I got Molly out and then went back for Crane. The roof came down right after that. Then I realized the barn was on fire and went for the horses."

Molly looked like she was about to cry. "I woke up in the yard and found Crane beside me."

Crane took it up. "I…couldn't think straight…just ran around screaming for Evan. I finally realized he would've gone for the horses. But the barn was about to go too…"

Ford and Guthrie glanced at each other. "I think that's when we showed up. Guthrie searched one side, and I took the other. Guthrie found him in the back under some fence rails—"

"They must have fallen on him—"

"And we pulled him out. Then everybody else showed up."

Sam looked around, "And you have no idea what started the fire?"

Crane, Molly, and Evan looked at each other, searching for an answer. Evan spoke first, "The last I remember is sitting on the sofa after supper."

Molly shook her head. "The stove and the oven were off. I always double check after cleaning up. We finished the dishes, found Evan asleep, and I went up to bed."

"I called Hannah and let her know Evan was staying over, and then I went up right after Molly. We haven't had a fire in the hearth for more than a week, everything was turned off. I can't imagine what started it. I didn't notice anything different last night except Evan on the couch. Otherwise, it was a completely normal evening at home."

Sam glanced back at the remains of the house. "Well, after the fire's out, I'll talk to the chief and see if he can figure out what started it." He turned to the family. "You guys were _real_ lucky tonight."

Crane and Molly clung to each other. "I know." Adam wrapped his arms around Evan as Crane eyed them over Molly’s shoulder. "I know exactly how lucky we were."

Sam told them they could go back to the ranch, and soon, the three vehicles were loaded with McFaddens. Daniel had to hotwire Molly’s jeep since the keys were in the cabin. When the Circle Bar Seven came in view, Brian couldn't remember it ever looking so good.

The nine of them trudged inside, and Brian felt a little shell shocked from the events of the evening. It was almost three in the morning, and he was dog tired, having been up more than twenty hours at this point. The three survivors were filthy, and there was a quick discussion about who would get the shower first. Molly tried to get Evan to go, but he and Crane both insisted she should. Finally, Hannah steered her sister-in-law upstairs.

Brian made coffee, and they all sat at the table. Small, burnt holes were abundant in Crane’s and Evan's clothes, and Brian could smell the smoke on his brothers—and probably himself as well. It seemed out of place in their kitchen. Crane and Evan tried to provide more details, but what they'd told Sam was pretty much all they knew.

Crane rubbed his eyes and washed his face with his hand, smearing the black soot. Holding the coffee cup like a life preserver, he murmured, "I almost woke you up to bring ya home, but Molly wouldn't let me. She told me about the foaling and insisted that I let ya sleep." He paused to draw in a shaky breath. "If I'd brought you back, we'd have—" He swallowed and massaged his eyelids with his free hand.

Evan's face showed tear tracks through the stains as leaned against Crane and grasped his hand. "When I first woke up—before I knew about the fire—my first thought was that I should've just ridden home on Ruby or Gyp. If I had…"

Adam was sitting in Hannah's usual spot, and he gripped their clasped hands. "Face it; Evan was supposed to be there. He could've been home, but he wasn't. He was right where he was meant to be."

Evan looked at Adam and then back at Crane. "I was scared you two were already dead. And after Molly was out, I was terrified the house would collapse before I could get back to you."

"But you still came back. It could've fallen on us both, but you came back anyway."

Evan looked stunned, "I couldn't _leave_ ya in there."

Crane's shoulders shook as he pulled Evan into a hug. Evan buried his face in Crane's neck but said nothing else. Hannah called for Crane to come to the shower, and he slowly let go. He cupped Evan's face and kissed his forehead. Then he slowly left through the laundry room.

They sat silently for a few moments, and then Ford got up and grabbed the first aid kit from a cabinet. He stopped at the sink and wet a clean towel. "Evan, I'm gonna check your head."

Evan buried his face. "Aw, Ford, my head is fine. Will ya just—"

"I'm _checking_ your _head._ You're just gonna have to deal."

Brian couldn't help the small grin that broke out, and he glanced around to find the same on Daniel, Guthrie, and Adam. "You called the tune, cowboy; gotta pay the fiddler." And the fact that Ford actually was the fiddler was just the cherry on top.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Daniel took a deep breath and opened his eyes to the sun shining brightly through the window. It was clearly going to be a beautiful fall Saturday. Beautiful except for what remained of the little house where Crane and Molly had lived until early this morning.

He glanced over to where Evan rested fitfully. He'd been coughing all night, a deep, hoarse hack that sounded like he was about to bring up a lung. Thankfully, he was still around to cough, but Daniel sure didn't want to see the color of the stuff he was bringing up.

Still seemed like pure luck. That Evan woke up and realized the cabin was on fire. That he got Crane and Molly out before the roof collapsed. That he'd even been there at all. What if that mare hadn't gone into labor yesterday? And if it hadn't been a tough foaling?

Another spasm ripped through Evan, and Daniel watched sympathetically as the vicious cough shook his brother's whole body. He caught Ford's eye in the other bed, and they both watched Evan try to pull it back under control. When he finally finished, he rolled to his back and groaned softly.

"Does it hurt as much as it sounds?"

"I feel like I've been run through a meat grinder." His voice was rough.

"You sound about like a meat grinder, too."

"Hardy. Har. Har." Cough.

The room fell silent for a minute when Daniel heard a car pull up outside. He stood to look out the window. "It's Sam King. Put a nickel in it, and let's see what he found out."

In seconds, the three of them headed downstairs. Daniel heard sounds in the kitchen, and they found Adam, Hannah, Brian, and Guthrie already up. Hannah and Brian were working on food as Adam and Guthrie nursed coffee. Despite the sparse sleep, everyone looked mostly alert. Daniel figured they were like him…too many thoughts and images running through his head to let him sleep much. Or in Evan's case, coughing.

Sam let himself in the kitchen door. Whenever they had friends over growing up, everybody knew the doors in the house were unlocked and they should just come on in. The McFaddens never had anything worth stealing, barely any cash, and welcomed everybody to their table and shelter. Sam had been a recipient of that hospitality many times over the years.

"Morning, McFaddens. How y'all doing?"

Adam glanced at the assembled, "Crane and Molly took our room last night. We haven't seen 'em yet, but everybody else seems to be intact."

Sam nodded, "How ya feeling, Evan?"

"Fine." Regardless of what he'd admitted to Daniel and Ford, that was Evan's standard answer and suspect to anyone who knew him.

Daniel took a sip of coffee and felt a hand slide over his shoulder as Crane and Molly came around the corner, arm-in-arm. They looked whipped.

"Morning."

Hannah brought two steaming mugs. "Cream and cream." She looked them over. "Did you two get any rest?"

Molly eyed Crane. "Some. Still coughing up nasty stuff and seeing the house on fire whenever we close our eyes, but we dozed some."

Brian leaned against the sink with his arms folded. "What do ya know, Sam?"

The deputy glanced around the room. "Well, it's still preliminary, but the fire chief says there's evidence of an accelerant."

Silence reigned for a long minute till Guthrie spoke up. "Is that what I think it is?"

Sam chewed his lip before answering. "It's something that makes a fire burn hotter or faster or both."

Adam jumped on it. "He thinks it was set? Arson?"

Daniel glanced back to catch Sam's short nod.

Guthrie couldn't hold back. "Who would do that?"

Sam slid into Brian's chair. Hannah brought him a cup of coffee. "Sugar, no cream."

He smiled thanks, but then his face became troubled again. "Well, Guthrie, sometimes people set their own property on fire for the insurance. But that doesn't really work in this situation because y'all are just leasing that land, right?"

Adam nodded, "Yeah, it's still owned by Charlie Hartsell's kids after he passed. When we signed the lease, they put in a clause that we find someone to live in the cabin and maintain it. His son was real specific about that."

"That's what I thought. They wanted to keep the house, so I doubt they'd go to the trouble of burning it down—especially knowing it was occupied. That'd be murder on top of arson. The buildings weren't worth that much anyway. Y'all had nothing to gain from it since it's not your property. And while I know your ranch is doing better, I doubt you got the reserves to buy that place if they wanted to sell after losing the house and barn."

Daniel didn't know a lot about their bank balances right now, but with the mortgage on the Barton spread, he couldn't imagine them taking on the debt of the Hartsell property, too. Crane and Adam eyed each other, and Crane answered for them. "That would _not_ be a terrific idea. Much as we'd love to have it, now wouldn't be the best time for us."

Sam nodded, "That's what I thought. And that's what I told the fire chief and the sheriff, but they'll probably ask you, too. So if the place wasn't torched for money, the only other reason I can come up with is that somebody's got a grudge against one of you."

Daniel's gaze swept his family and found them looking stunned and bewildered. They'd all had personal conflicts with people in the past, but this seemed a particularly vicious move from out of left field.

"Crane?"

He looked disturbed at the whole idea and shook his head, speechless.

"Molly?"

She clung to Crane's arm as she searched internally. "I can't even imagine."

"Anybody?" Sam looked at the rest of them, but Daniel didn't have a clue and figured everyone else was in the same boat.

Sam looked apologetic. "Well, y'all think about it. And remember this is preliminary, so it might change. But right now, looks like somebody burned you out…and maybe tried to hurt you." He paused then headed out. "Thanks for the coffee, Hannah. I'll talk to y'all later."

Daniel looked around at his brothers. They'd tangled with a number of nasty people over the years, but this seemed completely over the top.

Crane trudged over to his seat, and Molly sat in Hannah's place. Crane rubbed his eyes with the hand not clinging to his wife. "Just gets better and better."

Adam tried. "Now, we don't know anything for sure." He didn't sound very convincing.

Crane rolled his shoulders, clearly frustrated. "Oh, come off it, Adam! What in the _hell_ are we in the middle of now?"

Daniel sat still, not having anything worth saying and knowing useless comments wouldn't be welcomed. Under the table, Ford squeezed his leg, and Daniel appreciated the connection he knew they both needed right then.

Standing at the sink, Brian slammed his hands onto the counter in frustration. "Anybody?"

Hannah rubbed Molly's shoulders. "This is crazy."

Crane shook his head again. "Crazy, but we've got to figure out who's after us pretty damn quick. They could come here next."

Daniel glanced at his family again and found worried, tentative expressions all around. He hadn't thought of that possibility.

The phone rang, and Adam got up to answer it. Daniel hoped it might be someone with definitive word about what happened, but Adam called him to the phone. "It's Renee."

Renee. Geez. They were supposed to have dinner tonight, and then she was coming to see the band. Funny how important that had seemed all week, but he hadn't thought of her once since last night. Not a single second. Which meant…that it really was just an infatuation. If he'd _loved_ her, she would've been his first thought after learning of the threat to his family, but she'd never entered his mind. Not once.

Their week together had been exciting. They’d gone out every day since Monday, usually for both lunch and dinner. She was stunning and told amazing stories. Daniel had been the envy of many of the young men in the region as he squired her to various spots. It was more than her beauty. She was easy to talk to, and they got on amazingly well despite the differences in their backgrounds.

But…as the week wore on, he began to notice how little she revealed about herself. Oh, she had lots of tales about stuff she’d done, places she’d been, people she knew; but when it came to the person deep inside, she became vague and usually changed the subject by getting Daniel to talk about his family, hopes, and dreams. And about midweek, he started to notice how little he was really getting of the woman behind the pretty face. It was at that point he began to wonder if they should pursue this long term. Now he had his answer.

"Hi, Renee."

"Hey! How was your…gig?...last night? Did I say that right?"

He smiled softly at her effort. "It was good. Place was rocking. Too bad you had to work on your client's report; you missed a great show."

"I'll make up for it tonight. I can't wait to see you play."

"Yeah. Listen, I have to cancel. The band's gonna have to get along without me tonight—I'm not gonna be there."

"Why? Daniel, is something wrong? You sound…strange."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Crane's house and barn burned down last night."

A sharp intake of breath. "Oh no! Are they okay?"

"Yeah, thankfully. It was close, though, and they've lost everything."

No answer right off, then, "That's horrifying, Daniel. But I completely understand about your…gig. Do you still want to have dinner?"

Daniel blinked, surprised. "You know, I don't think I'll have time. There's a lot going on right now, and everything's up in the air. It's just—it's crazy here."

Another pause, then, "Sure, of course. _Of course_. That was stupid of me, I'm sorry."

"It's just—"

"You don't have to say anything else, Daniel. It's family. I understand."

Daniel was relieved. "You're leaving tomorrow, right? Listen, next time I'm in Sacramento, I'll call you, huh?"

"You'd better. I know where you live." He could hear the smile in her voice.

Glad to have it settled and done, he responded warmly, "Count on it. Listen, I'm sorry about tonight. I was really looking forward to it."

"Don't give it another thought. Tell Crane and Molly I'm thinking about them. And Daniel, I'm really glad I got to know you this week. You're pretty special."

"You are too. 'Bye." Good to know how he stacked up against a man as fine as his brother. And thankful beyond words that his brother was still around.

**SB4SB**

Umpteen phone calls had been made…to Charlie Hartsell's son in San Jose, his insurance company and theirs, their lawyer, Molly's clinic, Evan's date for the evening, Daniel's band…and those were just the calls Ford knew about. Molly had borrowed clothes from Hannah, and the two of them had made an emergency trip to town—and run into about a hundred friends and neighbors who offered help and sympathy.

The whole family had gone back to the where the cabin had stood for longer than any of them had been alive—until last night. A few firemen remained to make sure there were no flare ups, but it was just a safety precaution.

The fire chief had called in an arson expert from Stockton, and he was onsite when they arrived. The local guy in charge said the chief would get the report shortly and probably be out to the Circle Bar Seven late that afternoon. The other firefighters had been looking through the piles of burned wood, cinders, and ash for anything salvageable but had come up empty so far.

Ford glanced at his brothers. Crane was somber and stoic…until Molly literally buried her face in his neck. He wrapped her up and squeezed his eyes shut. Brian gripped his shoulder in support. Hannah leaned into Adam, and he bit his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes briefly. Ford had seen that look before and knew Adam was trying to keep from getting upset. But then, that’s what they were all doing.

Seeing there was nothing left to recover and knowing that the sheriff and fire chief would be at the ranch soon, they all headed back to the vehicles except Evan and Ford. They each pulled out a bridle they'd brought along and headed to the corral. With the barn gone, the corral was insecure, so they'd decided to ride Ruby and Gyp back to the Circle Bar Seven. They trailed into the ranch yard a few minutes after the rest of the family got back in the truck. It was a quiet group in the kitchen. Glancing around to note the missing, Ford raised his brows in question.

Hannah shook her head slightly. "Molly was pretty upset; she and Crane are upstairs."

Ford hadn't been sitting long when he heard two car doors slam. Brian stood and opened the kitchen door. He leaned back in, "It's Charlie and the fire chief."

Hannah brought coffee as they sat down to begin the discussion. Ford thought about going to get Crane and Molly but figured they'd be down soon.

As a paramedic, Ford already knew Chief Chet Martin and introduced him to everybody. He was a little older than Adam, and they'd known each other slightly in school. "Well, the fire inspector from Stockton confirmed what I suspected…it was arson. Gasoline outside the backdoor, along the sides. In front of the barn."

A collective breath escaped from pretty much everyone around the table. Ford had been wracking his brain trying to come up with anyone who would have a grudge against them, but he couldn't think of anybody angry enough to do something like this. So he decided it must be someone mad at the Hartsells…either that or a big mistake. He sure hoped it was the last choice—even if it had been a costly error, at least they wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Just as the Chief started to speak again, they heard another car skid to a stop. A car with a big engine. Questioning glances flew around the table. Sitting closest to the living room, Daniel went to the front door. And almost immediately backed away with his hands in the air as a wild haired woman barreled in…holding a pistol in her shaky hand!

"Renee? Renee, what's wrong?" Daniel's voice was amazingly calm considering he was looking at the inside of a .38 revolver.

"Where is he? He's here, isn't he?"

"Who, Renee? Just take it easy and tell me who you're looking for."

" _Crane!!_ Who do you _think_ I'm here for?!"


	7. Chapter 7

Crane figured the sheriff and the fire chief had probably arrived. He and Molly needed to get downstairs, but she was still pretty upset. Seeing the cottage completely destroyed was hard for her. She'd loved sprucing up the old place to make it special. Now, it was gone forever along with most of the keepsakes from their wedding. Leaning against the headboard of Adam and Hannah's bed as he held her, Crane figured the rest of the family could handle the officers for a few more minutes till she pulled herself together.

Suddenly, Guthrie burst into the room, urgently whispering, "Crane! Renee's downstairs with a gun! And she wants you!"

"Renee _Tessler_? With a _gun?_ "

"Crane, I think she's _crazy!_ " He hissed, trying to stay quiet.

Crane tried to wrap his head around the idea—which made no sense at all. Renee was one of the most level-headed women he'd ever known. What Guthrie was saying just didn't seem possible. He was pretty sure she'd attended rallies to promote gun control even.

He stood to go downstairs. Molly started to follow, but he gripped her shoulders. "Stay here." Whatever was going on, he didn't her to get hurt.

"But—"

" _Stay here._ Guthrie, stay with her."

His little brother—who wasn't so little anymore—looked rebellious. "Crane—"

"Guthrie, I'm asking you to protect Molly. I don't know what's going on down there, but I'll feel better knowing she's got someone with her." Okay, so he really wanted to make sure they were both out of danger, but Guthrie didn't need to know every detail.

Guthrie looked conflicted, but he finally nodded.

Crane kissed Molly on the forehead and left the room before he could think anything else. Out on the landing, he looked down to see Renee at the front door, holding a gun on Daniel. Her eyes flew up.

"How _could_ you?" She sounded hysterical.

"Renee? What are you doing?" He kept his voice soft, like he was talking to a wild animal.

"You _ruined_ it! You ruined _everything_!"

"We can talk about this…fix whatever I screwed up. Just put the gun down."

" _No!!_ "

"Okay. Okay." He began easing down the steps, his glance flicking to the corner of the kitchen where the rest of the family and another man stood with Charlie Lewis who had his gun pulled but out of sight. Crane turned his attention back to Renee. "What did I mess up?"

"You got _married!_ "

"Yeah." He paused, "And…"

She swayed on her feet, but her grip on the gun never wavered. " _Nothing_ has been right since we split up, Crane! And this year has been—not good. Terrible, actually. And the worse it got, the more I realized that the last time I was really happy was when I was with you. _Here_."

"What about D.C.? And Sacramento? You made your dreams come true—just like you always said."

She flinched and ran her free hand through her messed up hair—he didn't think he could ever remember a strand out of place before today. "At first, it was great. Then… _not_ great. Empty." She glanced back at him, eyes full of pain. "Did I tell you I'd been married?"

He shook his head, "No, you didn't."

"Three times." She breathed a disgusted laugh. "All _shiny_ on the outside with good, promising futures. Just what I _said_ I wanted." She rolled her eyes. "One was looking for his mama, one ran around on me, and the other, well, he batted for the other team…if you get my meaning." She tilted her head at him in a mockery of her old self. "Do I know how to pick 'em or what?"

"I'm sorry, Renee. That must've been hard."

"Every time it didn't work with them or one of jerks I _didn't_ marry, I'd picture the very antithesis of the idiots in my life…and always came back to you. Sweet, faithful, stubborn, hard-working Crane McFadden. After a while, I figured they were just what I deserved for walking away from you.

"And then this last year…." She shook her heard slightly, "Finally, I realized that all I wanted—needed—was you and what we had together." She offered a broken smile that was a caricature of its usual brilliance. "So I came to find you."

Crane was at the bottom of the stairs just a few feet from her. The gun in her hand wasn't aimed directly at him, but it was close enough. At least it wasn't on Daniel anymore. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

She looked shocked at the suggestion. "I couldn't look like a complete loser. That's not who you were in love with. I had to be _that_ girl again. Successful, accomplished, the world by the tail." She glanced at him hopefully, "You see?"

He nodded, not wanting to interrupt.

"I came to find you. And I saw you go into that store in town, so I let the air out of your tires." She laughed impishly. "Sorry about that, but I needed to slow you down. So I could run into you accidently, see?"

He nodded and tried to smile in encouragement and understanding.

"And it was going so great. We were talking and remembering old times, and it felt good, didn't it? Just like it used to be. I felt like myself for the first time in…forever. I gave you a ride home. Perfect. And that sweet little cottage! Like it was built just for us. You weren't even living with your brothers anymore. Close, but not too close. I just knew it was everything I wanted— _needed._ Even if I didn't realize it till now."

Then her face twisted as she looked at him in angry confusion. "But you were married. You didn't tell me, but she showed up with Daniel." Her face turned accusing. "And then you had to shove it in my face! How _happy_ you were. That wasn't _nice_ , Crane!"

"I'm sorry, Renee. I didn't understand."

"I could see the two of you in the kitchen, teasing, kissing, laughing. Like we used to do. And the way you pushed me off on your brother? I didn't know you could be so petty.

"I stayed in town hoping you'd come to me—realize I was the girl you wanted. I kept going out with Daniel, hoping to make you jealous. I mean, dating your little brother? Please! But you didn't come. So I decided if _I_ couldn't have you, no one could."

"You set the cabin on fire?"

"If we couldn't live there together… I thought the ashes would be symbolic of our love. But _you_ were supposed to be inside! You and her both!"

Crane licked his lips, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. How long had it been since he took Psych 101? No accusations; he didn't want to put her on the defensive. Maybe if he sounded apologetic? Begged for forgiveness? "Renee, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I still had a chance with you. When we split up, I figured I'd missed my shot. I moped around here for years, looking for another woman who could measure up, but I was ruined for anyone else. After you, my standards were way too high.

"And when Molly came along, I figured she was my last chance. But if I'd known you might be back, I'd have waited." By this time, he was standing right in front of her, the gun slack in her hands. He didn't dare look away from her face, but he hoped someone was close enough to help him.

"Now that I know…we can be together. It'll be just you and me—forever."

Her eyes were child-like. "Really?"

"Really." He wrapped his right arm around her and reached for the gun with his left. And she let him have the pistol without a blink.

Behind her, Adam and Brian each snagged an arm as she started to embrace Crane. Charlie closed a handcuff around the right wrist as she started to fight back.

Crane called out, "Be careful. Don't…hurt her." Unable to watch anymore, he turned away as she started to kick and fight. He heard Ford calling for an ambulance as Crane gripped the newel post in anger and regret.

Then Molly was there, and he wrapped himself in her arms. Everything he'd ever wanted and more in a woman who loved him and him alone, just as he did her. And the… _person_ …who'd once been the subject of those same kind of dreams had turned into a shell of herself after realizing ambition left her cold and alone. Thank God she'd dumped him. What would his life be if they'd stayed together? And thank heavens she didn't hurt anyone he loved.

Molly slowly kissed every square inch of Crane's face. He reveled in her touch, feel, smell.

"I was so afraid for you. Are you okay?"

He nodded, "I'm sorry. I had no idea…"

"I know."

"It's my fault the cabin is gone."

"No, honey. And it's just stuff. Everything that's really important is right here. You and me and our family."

His throat closed too tight to answer.

When they looked around, Charlie had taken Renee to his patrol car. The fire chief was standing with Adam and Brian…Crane had never actually met the man. He took a deep breath, "Well?"

The chief rubbed his neck and shook his head slightly. "I was telling your family it was definitely arson, and I'd say that was a confession I just heard. I'm satisfied."

Crane still couldn't get over the senselessness of the whole mess. "So, now what?"

"I'll finish my report; Sheriff Lewis will talk to the D.A. Although I doubt this will ever get to trial. That lady is disturbed."

Crane hated to remember the fresh, ambitious young coed she'd once been.

"I'll get you a copy of my report for your insurance companies. We'll eventually need official statements, but I'll let Sheriff Lewis arrange that.  I'll go see if he needs any help before the ambulance gets here."

The door shut behind him, and Crane closed his eyes in frustration and denial and anger and all the other emotions swirling around his head. What a waste! He felt Adam and Brian embrace him. He appreciated their support, but—

Daniel was beside him. Daniel who'd been stuck in the middle of this mess without even knowing it. Renee had used him, hurt him to get to Crane. "Daniel, I'm sorry—"

His younger brother, longtime roommate, and musical collaborator pulled him into a hug. "Are you all right, buddy?"

"Am _I_ all right? Man, I'm just sorry you got pulled into this. I never—"

"It's okay. I'd already figured out I was just infatuated. I broke it off with her this morning."

Crane eyed him. "Really? You're okay?"

Daniel shrugged sadly. "Sure. I wish I'd figured out her game, but she played me right along. I'm sorry I didn't see it. Maybe I coulda stopped this. I can’t believe how she…"

Crane shook his head in wonder. His younger brother was hurting, feeling guilty for being swept up by a beautiful woman, but maybe he was smarter about his heart than Crane had given him credit for. Daniel knew himself, and his head wasn't just turned by a pretty face. "Not your fault. She came here because of me."

Adam squeezed his shoulder, "You've not seen or thought of her in how many years? I don't think anyone could have predicted this. Don't play the blame game—either of you."

Brian nodded. "She's wacko."

Ford folded his arms and smiled. "Is that a technical term, B?"

He nodded, completely serious. "Short for whacked out. How ’bout loco? Nuts, bananas, bonkers, tetched? I can go on…cracked, mad, unhinged, screwy—"

Everyone started smiling as sarcastic Brian rattled off adjectives and broke the tension from the ugly scene.

"Loony, cuckoo, demented, around the bend, not all there, off her rocker—"

Crane put a hand to his chest, thankful for the distraction. "We got it."

"I'm just saying there's no reasoning with her. Adam's right; it ain't no one's fault."

Crane nodded as the woman he'd given his life to draped her arms around him from behind. He leaned back, safe in the arms of love.


	8. Chapter 8

Adam glanced up as he and Brian slid the new mattress onto the box springs in the old Barton house. Yesterday, Crane and Molly had run over to Angel's Camp where a friend had a second hand furniture store. Cecil had gone to school with Adam, and his folks still lived in Murphys. Crane and Molly got a bed, table and chairs, and a sofa and love seat. And to top it off, Cecil threw in a couple of rugs, lamps, and side tables. 'Just sitting around taking up space,' was how he phrased it. Adam figured Cecil's mother had probably called him and _suggested_ he help them out.

The ladies at church had also taken up a collection, and Crane and Molly now had linens, pots and pans, dishes, glasses, and silverware to set up housekeeping again. Hannah was stitching some curtains, so pretty soon, they'd be set.

The Barton house had been sitting empty since Sophie and Eddie went back to San Francisco at the first of the year. Everybody had assumed Brian would eventually move in, but he never mentioned it. He was actually the one who suggested that Crane and Molly take it. Crane looked at him in question, and Brian burst out laughing that he wouldn't know what to do with himself all alone. So Crane and Molly had agreed to the most logical next step.

Molly was unpacking the kitchen, Hannah sewing curtains, Crane cleaning the bathroom, Daniel checking the wiring, and Evan was making the barn ready for the horses. Ford and Guthrie were back in school.

"Honey, have you seen the bathroom rugs?" Crane's voice rang out

"I think they're in this box."

Adam trailed into the kitchen, looking for the sheets. He squeezed Crane's shoulder in support as they passed each other. His brother looked tired and a little ragged. Rough few days.

Renee Tessler had been taken to the state hospital at Camarillo for evaluation…and looked like she might be there for a while. Charlie Lewis had called her firm in Sacramento and found out she'd been asked to resign last year after _incidents_ with staff and clients. It seemed her mental stability had been sliding for a while. Her parents were summoned from Yuba City, and they'd taken over as her guardians. They'd gotten her a lawyer, but it didn't appear that the arson and attempted murder would ever go to trial due to her mental state.

Charlie Hartsell's son had taken the loss of his father's cabin pretty well. His wish to keep the old home place intact arose from an almost non-existent relationship with his father due to the elder Hartsell's experiences in World War II. Though Mrs. Hartsell never divorced her husband, she had taken their children to live with her parents. They saw their father occasionally over the years but didn't remember living in the cabin. It was the only real connection the son still had to his old man, and that was the impetus for trying to keep the house. Now that it was gone, he was pretty philosophical about the loss. He was content to let the McFaddens continue leasing the property and even said he might eventually consider selling it to them. But he wasn't ready to let it go yet, and they weren't ready to make the purchase anyway.

The family was slowly getting their feet under them again. Crane and Molly were still in his and Hannah's bedroom, and they all heard Molly's tears through the door from time to time. But she was doing better and was grateful for their love and support. She, Crane, and Evan were still coughing up nasty, black stuff, but otherwise, the three of them seemed to have come through without any lasting damage.

Daniel had been more quiet than usual, but Adam wasn't surprised. He'd been pretty caught up with Renee, and to find out she was using him was hard. And Adam knew Daniel regretted not seeing her true mental state. He assured them all he was fine. Adam didn't completely believe him but figured Daniel was at least on his way to being all right.

The family had come through another crisis intact. Didn't seem possible that they could value each other more, but every time any one of them was threatened, it made their bonds stronger and more fierce. Adam had been told that folks occasionally regarded the McFaddens as clannish, a rogue family that would fight all comers. He'd always thought that attitude odd and out of touch. But it only took an incident like this to remind him that his family came first, and he would go to any length to protect them.

The night of the fire, Evan had pulled Molly out of the cabin and then gone back for Crane. The place was minutes from complete collapse, but Evan hadn't thought twice. Molly literally had to hang on Crane's arm to keep him from going after Evan, and both Ford and Guthrie were on their way in the burning barn when they pulled Evan from beneath the fence rails at the back door.

It only proved that the love resided deep inside them all in a place that could not be touched by anyone on the outside. Hannah and Molly had been brought in by the love of a single brother, and the rest of the boys made room for them. The nine of them formed an unbroken circle; an attack on one—in this case Crane—was an attack on them all, and they responded as a single unit. Maybe that's the trait that had gotten the McFaddens the label of 'clannish.' If that was the case, then so be it.

The love that joined them could not be extinguished. It had burned longer and deeper and brighter than they had been alive, going back to their parents. And whenever an outsider tried to smother it, he or she found their actions only strengthened the McFaddens' ties. Renee Tessler tried to rekindle a long dead relationship, but she was the one who got burned. Clannish? Maybe. But their bonds were unbreakable. And that's what really mattered.


End file.
